looking for book recommendation for rock & mineral identification

[jubilation]

I've always liked picking up cool rocks while walking (and shells & all sort of ground treasure), but my kids have reawakened this little pleasure- as they LOVE it. Always pockets full of rocks. Every road trip see us home with a coffee can or ziplock or whatever full. I mysteriously find them in the bottom of my purse! Anyhow... we wish we could identify some of the little lovelies. Can anyone recommend a book with plenty of photos that may help us? Some have just polished stones- which do us NO good. Sketches don't help us. Some are just WAY to technical for beginners.

We found some neat ones just north of DJ last year & found some really amazing stuff in SE on a gravel bar when the river was low. Most of what we found on the bar that I grabbed wasn't real 'quartzy' looking- but I was drawn to some deep blood red & purples. I took pix of some of the neat ones- but I need more direction!

Thanks for any help anyone can lend.

And I'm always on the lookout for a big gold rock- but no luck so far! =)

[kasilofchrisn]

My wife is also a rock hound and we have 3 double barrell rock tumblers in our garage tumbling agates.
She has a book on Alaska rocks I got her for christmas a few years back but off hand I can't remember the name of it.
Another thing I have that works good is a rock hardness test kit with a streak plate.
This is the one I have and it works great and comes in a small compact little wood case.
http://www.dadsrockshop.com/hpicks.html
That way you can help determine the type of rocks by hardness and the color they leave on the streak plate.